Butterflies and Bookworms
by yoonsu
Summary: A series of one-shots and drabbles concerning the usually ignored Shinonome Hitomi. Why? Because she needs some love too...


**Let's see here. This is going to be a series of one-shots and drabbles centered around Shinonome Hitomi, Soubi, and the Male Zero team and their interaction between one another. There won't be any actual romance between the characters but there will be hints of it between Soubi and Hitomi. Why? This is my generally being annoying truthfully. I'm writing this for completely selfish reasons, because I'm sick of seeing yaoi everywhere, so I'm putting some 'semblence' of a straight couple on an almost strictly yaoi/yuri fandom. Not that I have anything against yaoi or yuri (my favorite couple being Yullen from D. Gray-Man, and I think the female Zeroes are adorable, plus it would be a little self-contradictory...) but I am tired of having to sift through so much of it (on NON yaoi/yuri fandoms mind you) to even try and find a decent canon couple. So why am I going after this fandom?**

**Because it is way too fun an opportunity to pass up.**

**My major concern for this series at this time is making the Zeroes out of character, I think I can handle Soubi (and not much is actually known about Shinonome) but the Zeroes are going to be difficult. I would appreciate it if someone were to tell me if they are in character or not. **

**Well, after all that the only thing I have left so say is...I hope I didn't insult several people too badly....**

**Disclaimer: Loveless belongs to Yun Kouga, and all characters thereof.**

**--**

**Restaurant-**

Shinonome Hitomi was in a very good mood.

So good in fact that she was actually dressing rather risqué…

She twirled in front of the mirror smiling giddily, then stopped and warily glanced around, as if she thought someone would catch her in her own apartment acting so childishly.

Childish.

Soubi considered her childish, that thought alone killed any excess happiness that was floating around.

Hitomi took a deep breathe and then steadily looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Definitely risqué.

She swayed a little from side to side, enjoying how the fabric of her pleated skirt only just touched her knees, but not quite. Critically she pressed closer to the mirror then fiddled with the ends of her short sleeved shirt, playing with the silver buttons on the cuffs until they sat _just right_.

Satisfied she pulled back away from the mirror again and pushed her hair over one

shoulder, ears twitching a little in pleasure.

She actually looked…cute.

Not like some bookish teacher or librarian.

Just…cute.

She hadn't looked this cute since high-school.

Her ears then flattened against her head, and her tail stopped flicking from side to side. She just hoped she wouldn't bump into one of her students today. What would they think of her!

…Or worse yet.

What if she bumped into Soubi?

She shivered at the thought and the hair on her tail stood on end.

She would never be able to live it down; it would probably just confirm to him that she was indeed childish.

Oh the embarrassment, the humiliation!

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to focus on the task at hand, and tried to ignore any thoughts about what Soubi would think of her if he found her dressed like this.

Dressed like she was going on…

A date.

She felt too _old_ to be going any dates, but here she was. Dressed to the nines –in her opinion– looking cute and childish, and actually going on a _date_, regardless that it was a blind date and her friend had set her up….it was the principle of the idea.

Opening her eyes and looking far more determined now, she turned away from the mirror, grabbed her bag and a somewhat blurry picture of her date, and walked towards the door, tail swinging almost seductively to and fro with each step.

It stopped swinging as soon as she heard her apartment door click shut behind her.

--

Hitomi didn't like crowds.

That's not to say she couldn't _handle_ them, she very well could. After all, she had to deal with them six days a week, using the train and stumbling through the city each day to get to work.

What was one more day?

She just didn't like them; they were too noisy, too hot, too violent, too close, too….everything. It was a shame that the restaurant she was supposed to meet her date was at the other end of the busiest market street in the city.

Nervousness started to eat away at her gut, and her grip on the picture tightened, crinkling already abused paper. Hopefully Inuyama Sousuke would think highly of her; according to her friend he was actually the owner of the restaurant they were going to be meeting at. Compared to that, being a sixth grade teacher seemed superfluous.

And just as she was getting used to being hustled by people around her, the crowd suddenly parted in front of her…

She didn't even have time to duck.

A slightly smaller body barreled into hers at full force, releasing her purse and her picture her arms wrapped around her assailant though she didn't quite know who she was protecting.

Herself?

Or the kid in her arms?

Wheezing, she managed to sit up with the boy still in her arms, and just as she was about to ask him if he was all right, he started and moved away from her, looking her straight in the face.

And suddenly all the panicked screams, angry shouts, loud noises, and murmurs faded into the background, Hitomi knew him.

Knew his face.

He had been in that strange dream she had, the one she always recalled at inopportune times. The eye patch was still over the same eye, and his unruly hair was as burgundy brown as ever. And suddenly….

Her dream didn't feel all like a dream anymore.

The look in his eye proved it.

He was as shocked at seeing her again as she was at seeing him.

The shock soon melted away and evolved into mild curiosity and amusement at her expense; his eyes raked over her body more carefully this time, taking in every detail, making sure to miss nothing.

Hitomi shuddered as he smiled strangely at her.

The world around them suddenly zoomed into focus as somebody started shouting.

"Get the hell out of here!"

"Nya! You've gotta' catch me first!"

The boy turned his head away from her and watched as another boy ran at them, not stopping as he hauled his friend off the ground.

"C'mon Natsuo we've got to…go." Slowly the aqua haired boy trailed off as he saw Hitomi, obviously recognizing her as well. The look of shock too melted off his face and a malicious grin spread across it in its stead.

"Get back here you brats!" The booming voice was so close that Hitomi startled to her feet shakily looking around for her purse, trying to ignore the two boys who were watching her like hawks.

"Ah! Ms. Shinonome! I-I wasn't expecting you s-so soon."

Hitomi whirled around purse in hand, and there was the man in her picture.

Her date.

"Mr. Inuyama, um, what's…er, going on?"

"Well, a little trouble in the restaurant, see these two punks…Hey! You brats! Stop were you are!"

Hitomi jumped a little at his yelling, she looked behind her to see where he was pointing.

The two boys behind her glanced at each other momentarily before staring at her again, and then they did the unexpected.

"Mom!!!" They screamed together and clamored up to her, looking teary-eyed and pathetic.

"Mom! He's _so_ mean, and we didn't even do anything! Right, Youji?"

"Yeah, Natsuo. Don't leave us, don't leave us, don't leave us for him Mom!"

A pair of arms wrapped around her waist, while another pair clung to her arm, two heads buried into her sides in such a way that could still see their faces.

They didn't have to say anything to understand what was written on their faces.

Play along.

Or else.

So she did.

As indignantly as she could she huffed at Sousuke, "What have you done to my children Mr. Inuyama!?"

"Y-you have children? These are your children!? T-these brats!?"

"I would appreciate it if you didn't call my kids that Mr. Inuyama, especially in front of me."

"But how can they be your children! Yume didn't mention that you had any children whatsoever. _And_ your still a-a-a vir-"

"That's quite enough of that!" Hitomi sniffed, "They're adopted, and I think that we" she actually stroked Natsuo's head gently, "have had enough of your company to last a lifetime Mr. Inuyama. Good day."

Though Hitomi turned away, it was Youji and Natsuo that lead her away, and as soon as they were out sight they each grabbed onto her hands and started skipping, dragging her along.

"Stop! Where are you taking me?"

"Nowhere special _Hitomi_," Youji answered.

"Why? Worried that Soubi won't be around to save you a second time?" Natsuo asked.

Hitomi felt something cold drop to her stomach, "So…it…wasn't a dream? It was all…real?"

They stopped walking, Youji turned to her, "You thought it was a dream?"

"…Yes."

"Stupid," Youji snorted.

"Very," Natsuo agreed sagely.

"Hey! And…where _are_ you taking me?" Her ears flattened against her head in anxiousness.

"Nowhere special Hi-to-mi…" Youji sing-songed.

"May I…ask a question?"

Youji snickered, "You already did."

"…Two more then?"

"You're down by one, and there's no guarantee we'll answer," said Natsuo.

"Ok then…what were you doing to Mr. Inuyama? Why was he…yelling?"

"That's two but we'll answer anyways," Natsuo stated putting his head on her shoulder and once again wrapping his arms around her own.

"To put it quite simply…he's fun."

"To watch that is," added Youji.

"He beats his girlfriend you know," continued Natsuo.

"He's…abusive?" Her ears flatted down some more. And then….

"Wait a second! He has a girlfriend already?!"

"Yeah. Why do you care?" Youji glanced at her.

Hitomi only gave a watery "Oh," as an answer and then looked down at her feet.

The Zeroes looked at each other momentarily and then looked back to Hitomi.

"Something wrong?" Natsuo asked.

"Huh? Nothing…It's nothing. I shouldn't care…he was abusive anyway right?" She gave a hollow laugh.

"So….what does that mean? It's not like you _liked _the guy or anything right?" Youji stared her down.

"Well no…but."

"But?" Natsuo prompted.

Suddenly Hitomi didn't really care who she was with anymore. She didn't care that these two boys had nearly suggested rape the last time they met, in her mind it was still a distant dream. She didn't care that at this moment they could be planning something horrible. Hitomi opened the floodgates.

And she wailed, collapsing so suddenly that she nearly dragged down Natsuo with her, he was still hanging onto her arm.

"It's not fair! Not fair at all! Everybody has someone they can count on, everybody," she hiccupped between heavy sobs, "But nobody will like me that way, no one! No matter what I do, no matter how I look, no matter…what is wrong with me? What?! Am I so disgusting?" She sobbed some more, and none of the Zeroes dared to touch her.

"You know. That first night…we…met. We told you, we didn't like fairness." Youji couldn't meet her eys.

"It's because the world isn't a fair place. Period," Natsuo added.

There was a moment of silence only punctuated by Hitomi's sobs now and then.

"Your wrong you know," Youji knelt down beside her.

"H-huh?"

"Very wrong, you're not disgusting you know," said Natsuo, kneeling on her other side. Hitomi's tail twitched in nervousness.

"I…I'm not?"

"No," Youji shook his head, "definitely not."

Youji winced and Natsuo followed his example, "Other people are though," Youji continued.

"You're…too good for them. Too innocent," said Natsuo.

Hitomi gave them a watery smile, "R-really? You really mean it?"

They both answered, "Yes."

Natsuo crept closer to her and gently pressed his palm against her forehead, she glanced at him warily.

"_**Sleep and forget, wake and remember only this dream.**_"

And so she did, slowly her eyes fluttered shut, slouching slowly to the ground.

"You really are too innocent _Hitomi_," Youji stated looking down at her.

"But don't worry Youji," Natsuo smirked at his Sacrifice, "We'll be the ones to break that innocence one day."

"Of course we will. Wouldn't have it any other way."

"It'll be so much fun."

"Uh-huh."

With that the two walked away hand in hand, leaving Hitomi right were she was: slumped against the wall of her own apartment building.

--

Hitomi woke up with an uncomfortable back ache and a head ache to boot.

Getting up and looking around the tiny lot in front of her apartment building she wondered how she got there, and for the life of her she couldn't remember what she had done the night before.

But she could remember her dream.

It was another strange one, and those two boys –Youji and Natsuo…she remembered their names this time – were in it again.

Oh well.

She had other things to worry about.

Like taking the grass stains off of her best short skirt.

--

**Hopefully that was ok...personally I do see several problems with it: plot-hole wise, and also concerning Hitomi's rationale. I also think I failed at writing the Zeroes convincingly. And though I didn't triple-check I think there also may be some problems with my grammar and spelling...**

**Oh dear.**

**But I will not give up! I'll eventually get better at this...**


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